Death is a very morbid topic that we tend to avoid in American culture/society. As we have discussed in class, our culture in particular avoids conversation of death at any cost. To us, death is an ending - it is a sad time in one's life when he/she loses someone that they love. Funerals are held as solemn reminders of what once was rather than what could be, and we dress ourselves in black to commemorate this time of depression and deep sorrow and loss. When one dies, we apologize, we grieve with our fellow humans, we mourn; we, more often than not, curse the powers that be or whatever higher power we may believe in - we curse them for giving our loved one illness, or causing the event of their death to take place. Sometimes we even wish that we died in he/she's place. We are a culture that avoids talking about this. We hate the concept of pain because it reminds us of our human weakness and lack of control in different aspects of our lives. Death, to us, is despicable and horrid, no matter the circumstance.
Other cultures have a very different view of death. In some cultures, death is a celebration of life well-lived. It is a time to honor one's achievements and the impact that they had on the world. It is also a time for hope - hope that this earthly life is not the end and that there is more to come afterwards. There is definitely a sense of grief, pain, and sorrow despite this, though. In small villages, when a village member loses a loved one, the whole village grieves. There is a sense of community amidst the solemnity of death. There are also ceremonies and rituals that are performed to honor the dead and send them on their way to the afterlife, or whatever they may believe occurs after death. Death is something that is pondered and explored, rather than pushed aside.
I am Christian and my opinion on death is solely focused on what I believe has been done for me by Jesus Christ. Due to his death on the cross and the gift of grace and love that he bestowed upon everyone, I believe that we no longer have to worry about death. Yes, we may leave our earthly bodies and the pleasure of this world, but I believe that there is something much more appealing in what comes after. The concept of "heaven" - where all those who have received Jesus go, is a comforting thing for those who believe in it. We do not fear death as we did before, but rather have this hope that we will be much better off after our souls are freed from the entrapment of this world. But, does this mean that death is complete joy? No, rather it is a constant reminder of the sin and evil that is in this world. It shows how weak and frail this life is and how incredibly fleeting our lives are. I still view death as horrible and have had my fair share of experiences with it, and can say that despite my belief in an afterlife, I am not solely confident in joy.
Overall, death has varying connotations depending on one's beliefs and culture. It is interesting to see how each person views it and how what it may be to one person, is not so for another. I am sure that my belief in God and heaven will not be shared by a majority of people, but I know that most people want to believe that this life is not it, that there is something more after. I think there is a comfort in believing that the pain of this world will ebb away and will no longer hold us captive.
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